It appears to me that very few people can be consistent unless being consistently bad counts. It is truly peculiar how quickly we see it in other people but can not see it in ourselves. Nothing shuts down a person’s self awareness quicker then being called a hypocrite. Even after it has been patiently explained how contradictory their opinion or actions are, some people just can’t, or won’t, acknowledge the obvious.
I think everyone can agree that being inconsistent is prevalent in sports and politics. I am going to avoid discussing politics for obvious reasons. Let’s pretend that there is a red team and a blue team. We can use sports because in the grand scheme of things sports should not define our communities but sports can teach important lessons. It does not represent the sport or your team honorably to call out the misconduct of the opposition when your team displays the very same misconduct. Using the rules when they benefit your team and dismissing them when it doesn’t is hypocrisy writ large. If the blue team supported a rules change that the fans supported in the past but now that policy shift also benefits the red team, but still benefits the fans, common sense dictates the continuation of the support of the blue team because it is good for the fans. The first order of business of either team should be what is good for the fans. The self-serving nature of inconsistent behavior speaks for itself and should be confronted from either team. If BOTH teams could be consistent as to how they will handle policies then the fans can decide who to cheer for. It is justifiable to change positions based on new evidence but to shift back and forth depending on how it affects only the betterment of you or your team, regardless of how it affects the fans, is disingenuous at best, and some would say treasonous. The win-at-all-costs attitude is not only bad for the teams but could destroy the sport. Where will the fans be then?
The referees have a responsibility in this. The fans need the referees to report the rule breaking and the policy issues as matter of fact so the fans can make a judgement based on facts and evidence. The opinions of the referees should stay as just that. The referees should never be complicit in making or shifting opinions. The role of the referees is to inform the fans, not sway the fans or the game, so they can communicate their views to the leaders of their teams. By the way, your team and your ideas must stink If your team loses on a regular basis even with the overt assistance of the referees.
Here is the hard part. It is incumbent on the fans to hold their teams accountable. If we, the fans, accept this inconsistent and dishonest behavior in those we have designated to lead our teams then we, the fans, are just as guilty for the problems facing our sport. We, the fans, need to be able to recognize our own inconsistencies and make the appropriate changes. We should expect nothing less from our leaders. The win-at-all-costs attitude is not only bad for the teams but could destroy the sport. Where will we, the fans, be then? Personally, my pay check is the same whether my team wins or loses, as it is with most of us. Each and every individual can make the world a better place be being consistent and expecting the same from others on both teams, the referees, and the team leaders. Wait, we are still talking about sports, right?
